Posted on 15 October
2009 - Toronto, Canada - Some Canadian rivers
are at risk of drying up as impacts of climate
change intersect with growing
water demand from the country's cities,
industries and agriculture, a new WWF report
has found.
Canada's Rivers at Risk:
Environmental Flows and Canada's Freshwater
Future uses a scientific approach that focuses
on the importance of water flow to examine
the health of 10 Canadian rivers and reveals
that some are dangerously close to drying
up. It concludes that Canadiaqns must value
their fresh water differently and take immediate
action to protect it.
Among the rivers at
risk is the mighty Mackenzie, one of the
world's longest free flowing rivers but
one which also rises where climate change
impacts are most pronounced. To complicate
the river's future, climate change also
contributes to another looming threat -
increased interest in low carbon hydropower
development along the river. Growing water
withdrawals from industries such as oil
sands development also pose threats.
A more encouraging picture
comes from the Nipigon in Ontario, once
stifled by dams and power development consuming
all but three metres of its 95 metre drop
from source to Lake Superior in the Great
Lakes. Now the dams are operated to restore
flows to more natural conditions, and fish
populations are showing strong signs of
recovery.
Using sophisticated
flow analysis that looks at the timing of
flows and the water needs of river ecosystems
yields much more valid assessments of river
health than just counting up overall quantities
of water, said Tony Maas, Director of Fresh
Water for WWF-Canada.
"Looking at environmental
flows forces us to look at the scale that
matters most when it comes to fresh water
- the watershed," Maas said. "When
we do, we find that growing more food, generating
more electricity, quenching the thirst of
expanding cities, and fuelling industry,
are taking their toll on the nation's rivers
and converging with the adverse impacts
of climate change.
"Even seemingly
remote northern waters like the Mackenzie
are at risk. As temperatures rise, and industrial
water withdrawals and interest in hydropower
increase, we must start planning now to
protect river flows to ensure water security
for the communities and economies that depend
on them."
The report recommends
a much stronger role in Canadian water stewardship
for Canada's Federal government.
"The Mackenzie
River is emerging as a national priority
for freshwater conservation and the federal
government can play a much stronger leadership
role in protecting the waters of this vast
watershed by facilitating implementation
of the Mackenzie River Transboundary Water
Agreement," said Maas. This will ensure
increasingly intensive development in upstream
jurisdictions does not impair the health
of the river, and the communities, downstream.
"
To avoid irreparable
damage, there must be a long-term plan to
keep rivers flowing for people and nature.
This includes strong federal leadership
to address climate change - both at the
UN Climate Conference this December, as
well as in implementing a credible, national
action plan to reduce emissions and put
strategies into place for adapting to a
changing freshwater future across Canada.
"These issues are
of a scope and scale that require national
leadership on fresh water in Canada now,"
said Gerald Butts, President and CEO, WWF-Canada.
"Water is our most important national
resource. Our responsibility is to steward
it wisely to ensure that future Canadians
can benefit from it as we do today."
Assessments of threats
to Canadian rivers
Skeena River - supports
Canada's second largest wild salmon fishery
(worth $110 million annually). Proposed
development of mines, coal bed methane fields,
oil and gas pipelines, and run-of-river
hydropower projects could significantly
affect the Skeena's natural flow and potentially
compromise the watershed's incredible biodiversity
and ecosystem functions.
Mackenzie River - is
one of the world's longest free flowing
rivers and plays an important role in regulating
ocean circulation and climate. The Mackenzie
watershed has experienced greater temperature
increases than anywhere else in Canada which
further impacts flows, and growing interest
in hydropower development is an emerging
threat.
Fraser River - contributes
to 80 per cent of the province's economic
output and produces more salmon than any
other river on earth. Its fishing industry
is worth over $300 million annually. Major
dams on the Fraser's tributaries, drainage
for flood control, and withdrawals for agriculture
and urban use have compromised flow within
the watershed.
Athabasca River - provides
the greatest direct inflow of water to the
world's largest boreal freshwater delta
- the Peace-Athabasca Delta. Together, the
river and the delta support over 30 species
of fish and more than a million migratory
birds each year. Water withdrawals for industry
amount to more water than is used by the
city of Toronto each year. The amount of
water taken for development is projected
to increase by at least 200 per cent by
2015.
Nipigon River - was
once a turbulent river but now its flows
are highly regulated. Only three meters
of its original 95-metre vertical drop remains
unharnessed by dams. However, it is a great
example of what is possible in terms of
restoring river health - even in the face
of significant threats. Operation of hydropower
dams on the river have been improved to
restore flows to more natural conditions,
and the ecosystem and fish populations are
showing strong signs of recovery.
South Saskatchewan River
- is Canada's most threatened river. Hundreds
of dams exist throughout its watershed and
70% of the flow is withdrawn for agricultural
and urban use. The water scarcity typical
of the region's arid climate is expected
to intensify under climate change, which
experts describe as an emerging water crisis.
Grand River - is one
of the most regulated rivers in Canada -
more than 100 dams and control structures
along the Grand and its tributaries have
significantly altered the river's natural
flow regime. Increased demand for water
to supply growing cities is a growing threat.
St. Lawrence River -
drains water from the world's largest freshwater
ecosystem, the Great Lakes. Its natural
flow has been drastically altered and is
currently in a declining state due to numerous
hydropower dams and the infrastructure developed
to create the St. Lawrence Seaway, which
is one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.
Saint John River - is
the longest river in Atlantic Canada. Hydropower
dams on the river have dramatically altered
river flows and contributed to the decline
of the Atlantic salmon population that is
now endangered. Downstream from the dams,
river flows can fluctuate by as much as
91% over a 24-hour period; at times flows
are reduced to the point that the riverbed
almost dries up.
Ottawa River - is severely
fragmented by hydropower dams in both the
Quebec and Ontario portions of its watershed,
the Ottawa is one of the most regulated
river systems in Canada. Its natural flow
regimes have been dramatically altered,
compromising habitat and the diversity and
distribution of the river's fish and shoreline
vegetation.
